It's often said that today's NFL is a quarterback-driven league, but history tells us that the age-old adage "offense sells tickets; defense wins championships" applies to pro football's biggest game.

The Broncos' offense has sold tickets this season – not to mention put up points at a record-setting pace – but the Seahawks won the NFC championship with their defense.

Thus, this classic matchup: Top-rated offense vs. top-ranked defense.

It's happened in five previous Super Bowls; on four of those occasions, the league's top-ranked defense has won the championship.

2. THE MOUTH THAT ROARS

Sure he's confident (all right, cocky), but there is legitimacy to Richard Sherman's claim that "I'm the best corner in the game."

With his brash approach, Sherman sets the tone for his team on the field; what's more, he backs it up with his play.

Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas won't be licking his chops and looking across the line of scrimmage at Alfonzo Dennard this Sunday; he'll be staring at Richard Sherman and the "Legion of Boom."

3. THE CHOKE'S ON HIM

We all know Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has rewritten the record book with the numbers he's compiled over the years in the regular season.

But in the postseason, Manning's numbers and his success have faded to the point where it's often said that he chokes when it counts most.

It's now in vogue to call Manning the "greatest regular-season quarterback in the history of the NFL."

Manning lugs a career postseason record of 11-11 (with 36 touchdowns passes and 22 interceptions) into Super Bowl XLVIII.

4. THE CANDY MAN CAN

After just three 100-yard games in the regular season, Marshawn Lynch, the Seahawks' Skittles-loving running back, has taken his game to another level with 249 yards in two playoff games.

Lynch may not talk the talk – based on his dealings with the media this week, if the Broncos want to stop him in his tracks, they should consider sticking a microphone in his face at 6:30 Sunday night – but he's walking the walk.

"Beast Mode" is coming off a 109-yard effort against San Francisco, the first 100-yard performance the 49ers have allowed all year, in the Seahawks' 23-17 NFC Championship Game win.

5. THE ODDS ARE…

with the Seahawks.

Sort of.

Underdogs have won last four of the last six Super Bowls.

As underdogs heading into Sunday night's game, the Seahawks have the Broncos right where they want 'em.

6. THEY'RE CARROL(L)ING

Page 2 of 3 - Sunday could be the night that the Seahawks' Pete Carroll exorcises a ghost.

Here Carroll is, coaching in the Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium, home to the New York Jets (OK, they share it with the Giants), the team that fired him from his first NFL head coaching job following the 1994 season, replacing him with Rich Kotite after just one year.

What better way for Carroll, who, as you may have heard, had a three-year stint with diminishing returns in New England, to show how far his career has come than by holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy aloft on the field at MetLife at the end of the night on Sunday?

A HALF-DOZEN REASONS THE BRONCOS COULD WIN:

1. PEYTON'S PACE

This just win: Peyton Manning threw for touchdowns at a league record-setting pace (55 of them) and the Broncos set a league record for points scored (606) during the 2013 regular season.

And for those who believe he chokes in the postseason, well, to this point he's shown no signs of doing so this year, connecting on 72.1 percent of his passes and compiling a passer rating of 107.0 in two games, completely outplaying his counterpart by hitting on 32-of-43 passes for 400 yards and two TDs with no interceptions in Manning-Brady XV, the Broncos' 26-16 AFC Championship win over the Patriots.

2. THEY'RE ARMED AND DANGEROUS

There's a reason folks have been sleepless in Seattle this week.

Bad enough that the Seahawks' defense has to contend with a Hall of Fame-bound quarterback who's playing at the top of his game.

Now, who's it going to take away from him?

In wide receivers Demaryius Thomas (92), Eric Decker (87) and Wes Welker (73), tight end Julius Thomas (65) and running back Knowshon Moreno (60), the Broncos have five players who caught 60 passes or more during the regular season.

3. POT ROAST'S ON THE MENU

It may not be there on your Super Bowl party fare with the chips, dip, pizza and wings, but "Pot Roast" will be served at the Meadowlands.

In nose tackle Terrance Knighton, the Broncos feature a force in their defensive line. In two words, Knighton's play of late can be described as "well done."

The 335-pound Knighton told the Denver Post earlier this year that former teammate Clint Ingram dubbed him "Pot Roast" as a rookie with the Jacksonville Jaguars when he ordered the meal on a team flight.

4. BL(O)UNTLY SPEAKING

If the Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch is to rush for his third straight 100-yard game of the postseason, it won't come easy.

Ask LeGarrette Blount.

Unleashed to the tune of 166 yards and four touchdowns on the ground against Indianapolis the previous week, the Patriots back was limited to 6 yards on five carries in the AFC Championship Game by a Denver defense that tied the Seahawks for seventh in the league in defending the run during the regular season.

Page 3 of 3 - 5. BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

The Broncos' John Fox has been a head coach in a Super Bowl game, losing No. XXXVIII to the Patriots with the Carolina Panthers.

Four Broncos have played in the game (including Wes Welker, who went twice with the Patriots) and Peyton Manning (also two previous appearances), who owns a ring.

As modest as that Super Bowl experience may be, the Broncos have a wealth of it compared to the Seahawks, who are the first team since the 1990 Buffalo Bills who don't have a player on their roster who's ever played in the game.

The 1990 Bills lost Super Bowl XXV to the New York Giants, 20-19.

6. THE WORLD'S GONE MAD(DEN)

EA Sports' Madden ran its annual Super Bowl simulation earlier this week and the winner was … Denver, 31-28, on a 49-yard field goal by Matt Prater in overtime.

Dismiss this if you wish, but be advised that Madden has correctly predicted the winner in eight of the past 10 Super Bowls.

Now keep in mind as you read the upcoming prediction that a video game has no doubt been a far more accurate barometer of this game than yours truly has over the years.